Eel Regulations 2009

Eel Regulations

Council regulation (EC) 1100/2007, establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel
Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009

On 15th January 2010, the Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 came into force. These regulations apply to the UK and afford new powers to the Environment Agency, Natural Resource Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency to implement measures for the recovery of European eel stocks and have important implications for operators of abstractions and discharges. You could be one of these.

The Regulations apply to you if:
• You are licensed to abstract or discharge water for an industrial, agricultural and other purpose
• You own or are responsible for any dam, weir, or other works by which water may be impounded
• You own or are responsible for an eel screen at an abstraction or discharge point
• You are constructing, altering or maintaining a dam, or any other structure in or near water, liable to cause an obstruction or danger to the passage of eels.

You may be the owner of a hydropower system, an Internal Drainage Board responsible for water level management, a commercial entity responsible for public or private water treatment and supply, an agricultural user (irrigation, fish farming, etc.), from the industrial sector (electricity, chemicals or manufacturing) or any other activity that involves some impoundment, abstraction, discharge or obstruction of water in an area of coast, estuary, river or inland that is of importance to the passage of eels.

What might the Regulations require you to do?
• Notify the Environment Agency of the construction, alteration or maintenance of any structure likely to affect the passage of eels
• Where any such structure exists, you may be required to construct and operate an eel pass to allow the free passage of eels
• The removal of any obstruction, if it is deemed necessary
• From 1st January 2015 you may be required to fit a screen to your abstraction and discharge points, in order to protect eels. Screen mesh size requirements will vary according to location.
• If deemed necessary, you may be required to incorporate a by-wash to return excluded eels to the waters they came from
• Implement measures to control the velocity of water approaching the screen. This will be dependent on the life stages of the eels present.

The Environment Agency will pursue compliance with the new regulations by adopting a phased and prioritised approach through to 2027.

What happens if you fail to comply?
Failure to comply will be treated as an offence. It is therefore vital to be sure whether or not you or your business is affected, and what you may need to do to comply.

What should you do?
If you are based in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, we recommend that you consult the Environment Agency, Natural Resource Wales, Scottish Environment Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency respectively.

Are you considering a GoFlo travelling water screen ?

GoFlo travelling water screens are used by hydropower owners and operators, water utilities and other industrial abstractors and are manufactured and supported from the UK. Our self cleaning intake screens are available in the United Kingdom and the European Union or other countries by agreement. Your first step is to try our Budgetary Pricing Calculator and then use the Measuring Up Guide to send us details of your site so we can discuss your project and send you a full quote. If you are a hydropower operator try our Additional Hydro Income Calculator to see the financial benefits of using a GoFlo traveling water screen. Alternatively, you can send us a General Enquiry or call us on +44 (0)1453 88 44 00.